The Actual Queen of England May Have Referenced ‘The Crown’ on Christmas

Much as we love to imagine historical figures sitting down to watch their fictionalized selves, there’s no way the real Queen Elizabeth II actually watches The Crown, right? A key moment from the Netflix drama’s second season seemed to make its way into this year’s Christmas address, and Her Majesty may just have tipped us to her royal binge-watching habits.

You’re warned of light spoilers from here on out, but a significant milestone depicted in The Crown Season 2 was that of Elizabeth’s first televised Christmas address in 1957, allegedly urged on by monarchy critic Lord Altrincham. Royal Christmas messages date back to at least 1932, and all of Queen Elizabeth’s since 1957 have been televised. That said, The Crown fans couldn’t help connecting dots between its notable Season 2 depiction and the real Elizabeth acknowledging its anniversary in her 2017 address (h/t Vanity Fair):

Sixty years ago today, a young woman spoke about the speed of technological change as she presented the first television broadcast of its kind. She described the moment as a landmark. Six decades on, the presenter has ‘evolved’ somewhat, as has the technology she described.

Mind you, this is far from the first rumor that Queen Elizabeth II actually watches the Netflix drama based on her reign, even as star Claire Foy has expressed doubt at the prospect. One imagines it beneath the Queen’s dignity to confirm or deny speculation, especially as the series heavily dramatizes both real-life events and the more salacious rumors of decades past. All the same, we have to wonder if Her Majesty will hypothetically keep watching once Olivia Colman takes over the role, or perhaps even play favorites between actors.